Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Have you ever looked at the world and judged others for their shortcomings?

When we see others constantly struggling, it’s easy for us to conclude that, maybe, some people are just bad or wrong. Those people are the opposite of the positive way you see yourself—as a good person. Of course, it’s easy to think that way when your mirror is a rose-colored reflection of yourself.

Even now, you might say you have a good job, donate to charity, and attend church. You’re not in the business of hurting people. Cloudy days haven’t touched your life in quite a while. Those are all great things now, but it isn’t the same as never, ever… Now would be a good time to admit that you, too, have said or done something that hurt someone in the past, whether intentionally or not.

How do I know? Even standard bearers aren’t THE STANDARD.

Romans 3:23
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard (emphasis added).

Think about your fictional and real-life heroes. You admire them because you see their flaws. You love how they aspire to be more. They’ve done something that uncovers the unseen scars of their trauma, and you know they survived the threat that tried to take them out.

We like to convince ourselves that we’re the hero, but in reality, we all have pieces of the villain inside because of our sinful nature. It hurts to realize that, especially when you’ve convinced yourself that you don’t have anything in common with someone whom you have judged as different.

We all fall equally short of God’s glorious standard. Doctors, thieves, and everyone in between—we’re all in need of a Savior. But the good news is the story doesn’t end here. Be sure to read tomorrow’s LIO to better understand why.

Questions:
How do you respond after you fall short of God’s glory? Do you ask God for forgiveness? Do you see examples in the Bible of heroes who sinned before and after finding Christ? How did they deal with it?

Next Steps:
Attend a weekend service and ask a friend to join you.

Look for stories of heroes in the Bible and learn about their shortcomings. Peter (Luke 22:54-62 and John 21:12-22) or Paul (Acts 8:1 and Acts 9:1-31) are two possibilities, but there are many others. Consider discussing your findings with your Group or family or friends.

Prayer:
Lord, no matter how hard I try, I am not capable of achieving perfection. Thank you for not abandoning me to deal with the consequences of my sin, and thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to be my champion. Help me to remember that saints are sinners who fall down and use the strength of their faith in you to get back up. Help me to stop thinking through a veil of pride and start living by faith. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Romans 1:20
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

This post was written by Jaron Camp, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.